Two days later, tensions were a bit higher. “Remind me why we can’t just land this thing in Mexico?” Janus asked crossly.

Lauren raised her eyebrows. “Carmen told us, Mexican customs will be watching for it. If we try to take it directly into a port there, we’ll end up in a Mexican jail. And I do believe you’ve heard the stories about Mexican jails.”

Janus did not look convinced, but didn’t raise the subject again. And before nightfall, the ship landed in her destination. The crate again earned Lauren and Janus a few odd looks, but not many. Lauren thought that perhaps the people here were just a bit more used to strange crates in transit, given the city’s and the country’s reputations. Although, she thought amusedly, I bet even they’ve never had anything like this come through.

The customs official here had merely waved them through, so it was now a matter of smuggling the item through five different countries. “Easy as pie,” Lauren said aloud, earning her a strange expression from Janus.